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Thank you for checking out my classroom website. Below is my classroom blog, where I include pictures of student work and instructional videos. Above I have links to our student Artsonia gallery, Youtube channel and my Prezis. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I'll respond as quickly as possible.

Our learning objective for this work was we will be able to re-purpose objects to create something new. We had six stations of junk that students could re-purpose into artwork that was permanent (they could take it home after it was dry) or temporary (it was disassembled at the end of class). I began the lesson by having students talk with a partner how they could turn something that might be considered trash into something new. Then I showed a number of different artworks made from things like old pencils, old crayons, egg trays, dried beans, marker caps and plastic cups. Next each student signed up for one of the stations, so I could see where to place each station. The egg trays were the big winner and I ended up needing two tables to house those students. The marker caps were the least wanted. But as the class time went on the plastic cups became a huge hit. They loved building tall towers and walls with the cups and then knocking them down. Below are pictures of some the the ideas and pieces they made and of students working.

Our learning objective is we will be able to collaborate with our own natural world to observe, create and describe our environment. We began by discussing the differences between a natural environment and a constructed environment. We then read the story "A Day with No Crayons" by Elizabeth Rusch and discussed with a partner all the natural art supplies Liza used to create art during her day. Next we looked at the artwork of Andy Goldsworthy and his use of natural materials in his works of art.Each table brainstormed a concept for their group piece and use the items from nature that I brought into the room to create their work. Each student took a picture of the piece on a iPad before taking the artwork apart. Each student then used a photo filter to edit their photo.

Our learning objective is we will be able to brainstorm, collaboratively, multiple approaches to an art or design problem. We began by discussing why art is important. We then we read the book Color Chaos by Lynne Rowe. In the story the elementary principal bans color and at the end of the story sees why color is so important. We looked at the 12 part color wheel and reviewed the primary and secondary colors and introduced the intermediate/tertiary colors. We did partner work where we put together a 12 part color wheel placing each color in the correct spots.We then used liquid tempera to paint the primary and secondary and then we mixed the intermediate colors and painted those. After the paint dried we then traced and cut out leaf shapes from each of the 12 colored paint sections. Collaboratively each child glued their leaves to a classroom color wheel on large bulletin board paper in the correct order of the 12 part color wheel. I think the results were amazing! I hope you do too!

We were working on the learning object, we can identify and use symmetrical balance. We began by folding a square paper in half and drawing half a butterfly against the fold. The pencil drawing was then traced heavily with black crayon. The paper is then flipped at the fold line to put the black crayon on the inside of the fold. A ruler and pressure are used to press the black crayon onto the opposite side if the paper. It will only lightly transfer so the second half of the symmetrical butterfly must be retraced to make both sides equally black. We used watercolor to paint in the drawing symmetrically. One final color is used to paint in the background completely.

​We had a number of learning objectives for this work. We will explore personal interests while creating a self-expression of our likes & dislikes, we will explore how artists can tell a story through their artwork and finally, we will begin to understand the difference between abstract & realistic portraits.

We began by listing five things we like and five things we don't like. We then discussed what is a silhouette and profile; and then used a tag board pattern to cut one out and glue onto our paper. Finally each child added their likes and dislikes to their work making sure to clearly show which they liked and which they didn't like.

​Our learning objective for this piece is, We will create a realistic self-portrait using correct facial proportions. We began by talking about what are correct facial proportions and looked at variety of artworks to decide if the artist used correct facial proportions in their portraits. Next we looked at artwork and discussed what realistic means. We then looked at each facial feature and discussed how to draw them realistically.

The class worked step by step to face map their self-portraits and worked hard to make their facial features look realistic. We then focused on completing our self-portraits by adding a neck & shoulders, hair and any other item that would make it look like us. We outlined our drawings with markers and colored in our work with crayon.

This was a very difficult task to take on but all my second graders were real troopers and took on the assignment without complaint or getting frustrated. Way to go!

​The learning objectives for this work were: We will know some of the characteristics of African masks. We will understand that African masks are created for purposes such as ceremonies or events. We will be able to create our own interpretation of a mask.

We began by looking at different African masks and finding the similarities. We used neutral and African Kente cloth colored paper to create our masks and added pattern with paper and dried beans.

We then created a background by weaving black and white paper together and then used cardboard scrap to add to the back of our masks before gluing them onto the weaving to create depth.

​The learning objectives we focused on with this project were: We will know characteristics of artwork used in traditional Day of the Dead celebrations. We will understand that the decorated sugar skulls are symbolic to the Mexican culture. We will be able to create artwork that shows our own interpretation of traditional Day of the Dead art characteristics.

With this clay project we discussed and looked at the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead and artwork associated with this holiday. We focused on the sugar skull and looked at a variety of different skulls and listed similarities we found in all of them.

I then demonstrated how to cut a skull shape from a slab of clay and how to use clay tools and found objects to press skull features and patterns into the slab to represent a sugar skull.

The pieces were left out to dry completely, fired in the kiln and then we used watercolor paint to finish our pieces with colorful patterns. My teaching partner Michelle Sauer found the idea for this project on Pintrest with no website link and shared it with me.

​With this project we worked on the learning objectives: We can identify and use geometric shapes and we can identify and create a low paper relief.

We began by looking at a variety of different mosaics and how the are created by using small ceramic pieces that are then grouted to "glue" the pieces together to make a larger piece of art. We also looked at the mosaic Aztec masks as inspiration.

First we cut a large curved line out of a black piece of paper. We used white paper to cut out eyes and teeth. Marker was used to add the black dots in the eyes. Then each student chose one color for eyebrows and one color for the mosaic face to finish the piece.

With this lesson I wanted to introduce my younger grades to simple over one under one paper weaving. We began by cutting a symmetrical shape from a folded piece of paper for the fish's body. Scales were added with black crayon.

Then we folded the body in half in the opposite direction and cut slits about an inch apart to create the base of our weaving called the warp. One inch colored paper strips were then woven into the body/warp using the plain weave of over one under one. The ends of the strips were glued down and we used scrap paper to add an eye, top fin, bottom fins and a tail.

I really like this project and am so glad I found this lesson idea at: http://annaideankiertaa.blogspot.com/2014/08/kala-paperikudontatyo.html

Denise Jackson

Check out my YouTube I've been teaching elementary Art for 18 years the last eight at Becky-David in the Francis Howell School District. Teaching Art is a great job and I absolutely love it! My job is made easier by all the wonderful Art teachers out there who share their ideas and "secrets" with me personally and through the internet. Thank you! Check out & subscribe to my Youtube channel of instructional videos & book read alouds by pressing the button at the top right.